Railway-ticket book.



STA ES NT fIFFCE.,y

Ticket Books, of which the following is a.

specification.

The book of the present invention` is intended for use by the railroads under all conditions which at the present time characterize the use of mileage books, scrip books,- or similar ticket devices.

The objectief the present invention is to simplify the transactions involved in the use ofthis kind of a passage ticket and toY render ythe ticket itself more compact and easier of manipulation than is the case with ordinary mileage or scrip books.

A further object of the invention. is to provide a ticket book which will prove readily adaptable to the requirementsof individual railroads or trailic bureaus, and which can be used in any one of several distinct ways, depending upon the judgment of they particular carrier.

The ticket book is designed to be used as part of an interchangeable traic system or individually upon a singlel carrier.; and is also designed to be used either in connection witha discount or a rebate system of pass senger carriage. y

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description:

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of the interior of the ticket book, showing the cover and the first page containing the original contract with the passenger; and-Fig. 2, a similar view, showing the contract removed and the book in condition for use inv the procuring of passage.

The book as showny consists of front and back covers 3 and #l respectively, which may be formed integrally or otherwise, and are preferably formed of cloth or other simil-ar durable material, as is usual in theiconstruction of books of this character. As shown,

the inner surfaces of both the front'and rearv Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 13, 1911.

RAILWAY-TICKET BOOK.

Patented Aug. 5,1913.

Serial No. 649,066.

holder of' thebookis entitled to travel. Or each of the spaces may indicate five miles, or anyl other desirable number. In like manner, each `of the spaces may be considlered to represent units of money value, as, jfor 1nstance,v3,vor anyl othery acceptable unit. Certain of the railroads at the pres. ent time employ 4the mileage unit of value, and otheriroads employ the money unit of value, in. `connection with passage ticket books ofA the class to which this iniventionl belongs. The present book can be used in. connectionv` with either one of suchsystems, since the physical construction and manner ofusing the book are` dependent in no wise upon the unitiof value which is selected by the particular railroad or association vof railroads.

Where the book isdesigned to represent a largenumber of such yunitsof value, it is desirable to provide both of the inside surfaces of the covers Awith spaces consecutively numbered, themainA requirement, however, Ibeing that-these spaces representing, units of value shallbe formed or'imprinted'upon some. permanent portion of the book which will remain. constantlyv in the passengers possession, the coverbeing` indicated by way vof preference.

Inaddit-ion tok thek unit of value spaces, thebook yisiprovided between the covers with a plurality of detachable ticket slips 6. Each` .ofthe ticket slips has indicatedv thereon spaces for receiving desirable informa,- :tion,..as follows:

A portion of eachy ticket slip bears an inscription as follows: Units of passage previouslyv used, or words to that eifect.

Another portion of the. ticket slip provides a` spaceinscribed as follows: Passage from. to Miles Or similarwvords of like import indicating the extentfofl the passage and the number and date of the train, or likematters required by therailroad. to identify a given passage.

Below `the spacelastyreferrd to is preferably a spaceinscribed Total,r orwords oflike import, and intended to receive the sumy total of the passageunits previously used, togetherwith thoseused .on thecurrent trip.

At the bottom of the ticket slip is a line with the words Passengers signature, and a space entitled Punch mark, the latter beingl any suitable space either so inscribed or not, and whichr is adapted toreceive the punch mark of the proper railroad oiiicial.

At a suitable point in the book is preferably bound a detachable contract stating the terms and conditions under which the book can be used by the purchaser in order to receive the benefit of the discount or rebate provided for, together With any other terms and conditions tending to safeguard the railroad or the passenger, to all of which the original purchaser subscribes his signature at the time of the original purchase.

The ticket book formed substantially as above described may beused in the following manner, subject to certain Well recognized regulations as to minor particulars respecting the transactions involved. We will assume that the ticket is sold on a mileage basis by a railroad adopting the rebate form of transaction. Under these conditio-ns, the book will be sold at the full mileage tariff rate, as, for instance, 3e a mile; and each of the spaces representing units of value will represent one mile paid for at the Se rate. 1We will assume that the book is provided with one thousand of such spaces, which Would indicate a book costing $30.00 and entitling the holder to one thousand miles of travel. At the time the book is purchased, the holder subscribes his signature to the original contract, which is then removed from the book and remains in the possession of the auditor or other designated agent, or goes int-o the possession of the mileage rebate bureau in case the road is operating on an interchangeable mileage basis in connection with other roads. The contract is retained for the reason that it bears the original signature of the purchaser, With Which comparison of certain other signed detached portions of the book must subsequently be made in order to check up each of the subsequent transactions involved.

The holder of the ticket thus purchased can pay for his passage directly upon the train, if the rules of the road so provide, or by the validating of a mileage passage ticket from the ticket agent, if this is the preferred transaction. In either case the properly designated agent of the road Will make a punch mark in the unit of value space representing the total number of miles traveled. rl`he conductor or other agent will also fill out or secure on one of the ticket slips the following information: First, the number of miles previously traveled, if any; second, the nature of the present trip, giving the points of departure and destination, together with the number of miles represented by the current trip; third, the total of all mileage used to date; fourth, the signature of the passenger; and fifth, the conductor or agents punch mark, 0r other form of signature to the transaction.

If the trip now being described is the first one made by the purchaser, the entire number or total number of miles Will all be represented by the current trip. But on each subsequent trip a record Will be made both on the permanent unit of value spaces and upon the detached ticket slips, indicating the amount of mileage previously used, together With the total, including the mileage consumed on the current trip.

A ticket slip made out as above described constitutes the passengers passage ticket and will be lifted by the last conductor honoring the ticket and sent to the rebate bureau or other designated agency having charge of the payment of rebates. If desired, each of the ticket slips can be inscribed upon a suitable portion of its surface With Words or statements indicating the bona ydes of the passenger in subscribing his name at the bottom of the ticket slip. Each ticket slip will thus constitute a signed statement concerning the identity of t-he user, Which will adequately serve to protect the railroad against any fraudulent attempts on the part of unauthorized persons to make use of the ticket book, and further serve to deter such persons from rendering themselves criminally liable in attempting to thus defraud the railroad.

The ticket slips after being detachedin regular order are sent to the auditor or rebate bureau, or other agent, Vas the case may be, and the signatures thereon can be compared With the original signature of the purchaser in the possession of the proper agent. If the total amount of mileage represented by the book has been employed in the manner indicated, the purchaser will be entitled to the designated rebate, which in most cases Will be $10.00 on a $30.00 purchase. Each portion of the book is serially numbered, so that the proper transactions can be checked up; and the ticket slips arepreferably numbered consecutively and are used in the order of their numbering', Which facilitates proper checking of the transactions.

In the use of the book as above described, the conductor is not ordinarily authorized to challenge the signatures subscribed to .the ticket slips, and the railroad relies for its protection upon its ability towithhold the rebate in case the book is improperly used. Some of the roads, however, prefer to sell such books at a discount. In such discount transactions, they protect themselves against unauthorized use by a refusal to again sell a discount book to a previous passenger abusing such privileges. ditions, the book can be used in the manner previously described Without any change or alteration in its essential details. In like manner, certain of the roads have adopted dollars and cents as the unit of value in the Under these conico case of books of this kind, in place of miles; but the book of the present invention can be used equally well under these circumstances.

Certain of the roads or passenger associa-` tions require the user of al mileage or scrip book to purchase a passage ticket of the ticket agent instead of making payment directly to the conductor. The book of the present invention can be used equally well to meet these conditions, in View of which the ticket agent will fill out the ticket slip and the unit of value spaces and validate the transaction with his punch in the manner previously described. If the rules of the road permit it, the baggage-master can validate the transaction and fill out the ticket slip, etc., at the time the baggage isl checked. In either of the transactions last referred to, the validated ticket slip will preferably remain in the book and will be lifted by the conductor at the proper time without other formalities.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the ticket book is one which can be made extremely compact, for the reason that spaces indicating the units of value can be made very small, since they are printed on a permanent, rather than a detachable, portion of the book. The construction differs radically from a mileage or scrip book, in which the slips representing value are bodily detached from a continuous strip or series of leaves, which are necessarily bulky and difficult to handle. The ticket slips, which are detachable, can be relatively few in number compared with the number of value spaces, so that the total result will be a very compact and easily manipulated ticket book, which, moreover, is adapted to be used under all of the varying conditions which appertain at the present time to the use of mileage books and scrip books of one sort or another. At the same time, the ticket slips not only serve for purposes of identific-ation in checking up the transaction, but also, if desired, constitute the passengers written undertaking that the ticket is used in a legitimate manner and afford the highest class of evidence for the railroad to utilize in an attempt to convict persons guilty of fraudulent transactions. Obviously, the arrangement of the various parts composing the present ticket book may be varied without changing the essential character of the book, and in like manner inscriptions printed upon the different portions of the ticket slip may be varied, provided only that suitable spaces be afforded for securing the information necessary in consummating and checking up the various transactions.

The ticket hereinbefore described is specially designed for use on those roads which prefer to employ a detachable contact bearing the signature of the original purchaser, and to allow the rebate bureau to make comparison between this signature and the signature subsequently subscribed by the passenger in using the portions of the ticket for passage. 1t is not intended, however, to limit the invention to use under these conditions, since some of the roa-ds prefer to have the original purchasers signature subscribed to a permanent portion of the book, in order that the conductor on the train or the agent at the ticket office may act as judge of the identity of the user with the original purchaser. This difference in usage, however, in nowise aects the utility of the remaining portions of the book, so that in the claims, unless otherwise specified, it is to be understood that the book may be employed in either of the ways above suggested.

1t is plain that the various spaces of the ticket slips intended to receive the necessary information can be designated in any appropriate way, so long as it is a mode of designation which informs the users of the purpose for which the spaces are intended. It will therefore be understood that in the claims the term appropriately designated may refer to words, letters, marks, symbols, or other insignia applied to the book, either at the time of printing or any subsequent time, which indicate in any suitable manner to the persons using the book the nature of the space or the purpose for which it is intended, or the information which is required to be entered or inscribed therein.

What 1 regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A railway ticket book comprising a permanent portion, having printed thereon unit of value spaces consequently numbered and a series of appropriately designated detachable sections constituting ticket slips, the parts being mutually identified by suitable marks.

2. A railway ticket book comprising a permanent portion, having printed thereon unit of value spaces consecutively numbered and a series of appropriately designated detachable portions serving as ticket slips, and each having an appropriately designated space for information concerning the cui'- rent trip, and an appropriately designated space for the signature of the passenger, the several parts being mutually identified by suitable marks.

3. A ticket book having a permanent portion printed to afford consecutively numbered unit of value spaces, any one of which is of a size to receive the punch mark of the proper officer, and a series of appropriately designated consecutively numbered detachable sect-ions constituting ticket slips, each having an appropriately designated space for information as to the number of value units previously used, and an appropriately designated space for information as to the number of value units used on the current trip, and an appropriately designated Space for the signature of the passenger', all portions of the book being mutually identified by suitable marks.

t. A ticket book having a permanent portion printed to afford consecutively numbered unit of value spaces, any one of which is of a size to receive the punch mark of the proper oicer, and a series of appropriately designated consecutively numbered detachable sections constituting ticket slips, each having an 'appropriately designated space for information as to the number of value units previously used, and-"an appropriately designated space for information as to the number of value units used on the current trip, and a detachable contract having an appropriately designated space -for the signature of the original purchaser, all parts of the book being mutually identified by suitable marks.

ROBERT J. JGYNER.

lVitnesses THOMAS A. BANNING, Jr., MARY R. FROST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

